The top 50 best rock albums of all time, ranked

Rock music has been kicking around for over 70 years, and anyone saying it’s dead clearly hasn’t been paying attention. Sure, it doesn’t dominate charts the way it did in the ’70s, ’80s, or even the metal-fuelled 2000s, but the guitar is still very much alive.

Kids today are getting hooked on shredders like Tim Henson (no, not that one) of Polyphia and Ichika Mo, who blew up online with riffs you wouldn’t believe came from six strings. And new bands? They’re still coming. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, The Lathums, Fontaine’s DC, they prove there’s still fire in the fretboard.

But today we’re not chasing hype. We’re digging into the albums that matter, the ones that shaped rock, defined moments, and made people want to smash their guitars into walls.

From early, fuzzed-out classics to modern masterpieces that prove the genre hasn’t lost an ounce of bite, this list covers it all. We’ve mostly left the deep end of metal alone, though some legends like Metallica and Iron Maiden sneak in for good measure. These are the 50 rock albums you need to know, no compromises, just riffs, riffs, and more riffs.

50. Heart: Heart (1985)

The world of rock might be seriously skewed toward the masculine, but Heart showed it doesn’t have to be. Their self-titled eighth album, following a period in the commercial wilderness, was a bona fide classic, containing no fewer than five hit singles, including What About Love? and the brilliant These Dreams. We heart Heart.

49. Oasis: Definitely, Maybe (1994)

Oasis arrived fully formed and, seemingly in an instant, became the UK's most culturally iconic band since The Beatles. This was the only Oasis album recorded with the band's original line-up, and features many of their most beloved songs. Nope, there's no Wonderwall, but there is what might be the ultimate fan favourite Oasis song onboard: Live Forever. It's an album that made the guitar relevant to a whole new audience yet again.

48. Foo Fighters: The Colour And The Shape (1997)

After the demise of Nirvana, Dave Grohl quickly recorded the first Foo Fighters album as a cathartic release; ostensibly just a demo with all instruments played by himself, it nonetheless performed well commercially. But The Colour And The Shape was where he really showed what he could do. With a proper band in place (yet himself still playing most of the drums - a wise choice), they recorded a classic record, packed full of great songs, both heavy (the peerless Everlong) and gentle (Walking After You). Turned out the drummer's songs were pretty good after all, then.

47. Def Leppard: Hysteria (1987)

Yet another appearance on the list for legendary producer Robert “Mutt” Lange, with the rock masterpiece that is Hysteria. It was a triumph for a variety of reasons, not least the recovery of Rick Allen. The drummer lost his arm in a car accident prior to recording, but the band waited for him to come out of the hospital and recorded the biggest album of their career, full of huge-sounding no-nonsense stadium rock anthems - indeed, they aimed to make every song a potential single. It was to be the last album to feature guitarist Steve Clark, but what a fitting legacy.

46. Journey: Escape (1981)

Journey had already undergone quite a musical, erm, journey, prior to this record, their eighth album, but here the elements combined to perfection. Timeless songs - including the epic opener Don't Stop Believin', which would become the ultimate slow burn hit and a track that even Glee couldn't ruin - Steve Perry's peerless vocals, lashings of rhythm section groove and virtuoso guitar playing; it's nothing less than a classic. It's sold over 12 million copies and almost certainly inspired many more air guitarists the world over.

45. Smashing Pumpkins: Siamese Dream (1993)

While Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness is Smashing Pumpkins’ magnum opus, Siamese Dream is a perfect capsule of alternative rock. Today, Cherub Rock and Disarm transport us right back to the mid-90s. The album was co-produced by Butch Vig, producer of Nevermind (and drummer of Garbage).

44. The Cure: Disintegration (1989)

The Cure have been around long enough — more than 45 years — to have a whole series of eras. But their creative peak is still considered to be around Disintegration, their dark and swirling 1989 epic. This is the darker, more depressive side of a "goth" band that can't half crank out a pop tune. So if you do find it a bit dour for your liking, don't write off The Cure entirely.

43. U2: Achtung Baby (1991)

After achieving worldwide fame with The Joshua Tree and then capitalising on the good, but flawed continuation of Rattle & Hum, U2 required a creative refresh. They promptly decamped to Berlin, embraced electronic and industrial sounds and took themselves a whole lot less seriously. It was probably their darkest, densest record, but, paradoxically, it contained their most uplifting hit, the anthemic One. Inventive, interesting and full of great songs, it's probably their best album.

42. Ramones: Ramones (1976)

While they may be punk icons rather than rock ones, Ramones’ first album is most notable in the modern era for how well its songs stand up as pop tracks. Tracks don’t come much catchier than Blitzkrieg Bop or Beat on the Brat. It was apparently recorded in just a week, and barely made an impact on the charts at the time, but has gone on to have an outsized impact on rock and punk in the decades since.

41. Meat Loaf: Bat Out Of Hell (1977)

An utterly unique piece of work, Bat Out Of Hell married the Wagnerian dreams of composer Jim Steinman with the truly larger-than-life quasi-operatic frontman that is Meat Loaf. It took years to record, it was rejected by many labels and executives, and even when it did find a home, almost everyone there hated it. Yet, slowly but surely, the record grew into a monstrous hit, selling more than 43 million copies, becoming a beloved rock classic. Thrilling, operatic and truly powerful.

40. Thin Lizzy: Jailbreak (1976)

The band's breakthrough album, Jailbreak, came after various lineup changes and four albums which had failed to chart. This record, however, was where it all came together: duelling guitars, a hard rock swagger and the descriptive lyrics of frontman Phil Lynott. The title track was a classic and, of course, it featured the irresistible blast of youthful rebellion that is The Boys Are Back In Town. It broke them in America and set them on the road to rock stardom.

39. The Band: Music From Big Pink (1968)

A beguiling cocktail of country, rock, folk, classical and soul, Music From Big Pink was quite unlike anything that had been heard before. Striking out on their own after working as Bob Dylan's backing band, they nevertheless employed Dylan's help - he co-wrote five of the songs on this, but the rest - including the laidback style, was all their own. Hugely influential for fellow artists including Pink Floyd, George Harrison and Eric Clapton: a great record.

38. Rod Stewart: Every Picture Tells a Story (1971)

With Rod Stewart now indulging in easy listening covers and the like, it's easy to forget that he always had an effortlessly powerful rock voice. Nowhere was it better showcased than on this record, his third solo album, which featured guest appearances from fellow members of The Faces throughout. A great rock vocalist at the top of his game.

37. Metallica: Master of Puppets (1986)

Filled with heavy melodies and deep aggression, Master of Puppets is a timeless record that feels a world away from the mid 80s it was recorded. Each song is a statement, almost an album in its own right - they are sprawling, epic music-filled rooms. This is an album that redefined what metal is, what Metallica were and questioned what your life was really for. It’s proper cinematic, soul searching stuff.

36. Neil Young & Crazy Horse: Rust Never Sleeps (1979)

An album with an interesting genesis, it was mostly recorded live at San Francisco's Boarding House and during a tour, with half the record being acoustic and half electric. Arguably, Young's greatest album, his beautiful melodies and lyrical brilliance shine out through all the album's nine tracks.

35. ZZ Top: Eliminator (1983)

Named after the car that frontman Billy Gibbons built - and which features on the cover - Eliminator was Texas band ZZ Top's finest hour. The car was an appropriate metaphor, seeing as the record motors along, rocking throughout, with three enormous hits - Legs, Sharp Dressed Man and Gimme All Your Lovin'. A classic record from a band at the peak of their powers.

34. Radiohead: OK Computer (1997)

Radiohead had already ruled the world. First with a hit song on a so-so record (Creep). Second, with a guitar album brimming with melodies and beauty that skirted on the edge of Britpop (The Bends). They didn’t want to be known as Britpop darlings, so they reconfigured themselves with guitar pedals and computers, distorting their sound into something unique and not of this earth. The result is one of the greatest albums of all time. One that opens with a car crash and ends with Thom Yorke wanting the world to ‘slow down’.

33. Pearl Jam: Ten (1991)

While it could have been that Pearl Jam’s 10 disappeared with grunge, Eddie Vedder’s timeless voice, the guitar arrangements and sheer beauty of the tracks mean that this is an album that has stuck around. And we love that it has: there’s still a real majesty to many of the songs, from the power-sodden Jeremy, heartbreaking Black to the epic Alive, it’s just sublime.

32. Aerosmith: Toys In The Attic (1975)

Aerosmith had already released two well-received albums before their major commercial breakthrough, and it was Toys In The Attic that did it for the Boston boys. A heady mix of the Stones and Led Zep, with Joe Perry providing the riffs and solos and Steven Tyler the blues and sex on lead vocals, it was dirty no-good rock and roll at its absolute finest.

31. Rush: Moving Pictures (1981)

While prog rock can leave a sour taste in the mouth for some, Canadian rock outfit Rush were different. With Moving Pictures they showed progression within prog rock, creating a sound that not only has fantastic rhythm but some of the best guitar riffs on any record - a year later, the guitar was ditched for synths which makes it even more special.

30. The Clash: London Calling (1979)

From the anger seething from the iconic album sleeve image to its haunting call to arms of a title track, London Calling is The Clash at their rockiest, bristling with punk fervour and spittle, gnarling away at the world they find themselves in. It’s a sprawling political polemic that’s also a masterpiece.

29. The Beach Boys: Pet Sounds (1966)

It tore Brian Wilson up, perfecting the album’s wall of sound, but the extreme effort created an exceptional record that is one of the greatest of all time. Melding pop, Jazz, and electronic, Pet Sounds is a rare rock record that sounds like nothing before it, and nothing has sounded the same since.

28. Van Halen: Van Halen (1978)

Hit singles came later, but Van Halen's self-titled debut album was a thunderbolt from the blue for rock music. David Lee Roth swaggered and crooned, but it was Eddie Van Halen who was the star of the show, redefining rock guitar playing through his legendary Eruption - a song that was literally entirely a solo and which brought tapping into the mainstream.

27. Bruce Springsteen: Born To Run (1975)

The album that saw Springsteen break into the mainstream, Born To Run, was a masterclass in production and songwriting, full of swaggering tunes and coming-of-age lyrics which resonated with listeners across the globe. It took 14 months to record, with 6 of those being spent just on the title track. It is safe to say it was worth it.

26. Guns 'N' Roses: Appetite For Destruction (1987)

Almost the perfect distillation of pure rock songs, debauched lyrics and general insanity, Appetite for Destruction has it all. From the guitar blasts at the start of Welcome To The Jungle all the way through to the groupie-assisted end of Rocket Queen, there is simply no let-up, with Duff McKagan, Izzy Stradlin and Steven Adler’s powerhouse rhythm section laying the groundwork for the majestic guitar playing of Slash and the raw vocal power of Axl Rose. They burnt briefly, but brightly, and this was their true peak.

25. Cream: Disraeli Gears (1967)

Probably rock's most successful supergroup, as the supreme individual talents of Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker and Eric Clapton combined to stunning effect. Disraeli Gears was their masterpiece, combining their classic rock and blues roots with psychedelia - as the cover hinted at (very subtly). It took just three and a half days to record; the product of a band at the peak of their powers.

24. Nirvana: Nevermind (1991)

Nevermind doesn’t sound like an album that’s now 30 years old. Butch Vig’s clinical production may have taken the fuzz away from Nirvana, but it also gave them a unique sound that still resonates today. Teen Spirit may have stolen the pop charts, but there’s darkness throughout - from the scarily prophetic Come As You Are to Polly and its talk of the abduction of a little girl. This is rock with an edge that only Cobain could give.

23. Boston: Boston (1976)

The story of Boston's debut album is an incredible one. Upon getting a record deal, Boston main man Tom Scholz was unhappy at his label's suggestion that a producer be brought in to oversee the project. He hired a friend of a friend to act as an intermediary and stage an elaborate ruse to make Epic believe they were recording on the West Coast in a state-of-the-art location, while Scholz got to work in his tiny basement studio.

He wrote or co-wrote every song, played virtually every instrument and engineered and produced the entire thing for a cost of just $2,000. It went on to sell 25 million copies and spawn huge, timeless, rock radio hits: all the product of a lone genius.

22. Deep Purple: Machine Head (1972)

If it didn’t have a single other song on it, Machine Head would merit its place in this list purely for the four bars of the riff in Smoke On The Water, which millions of aspiring guitars would go on to learn. Fortunately, the rest of the record is also brilliant, laying the roots for the later development of heavy metal, with stellar guitar, drum and organ work completed by Ian Gillan’s howlin’ vocals.

21. Elton John: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973)

Prolific doesn’t really do justice to Elton John’s early output. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was his seventh album in four years and contained 17 songs, with John writing the music for virtually all of them in just three days (For his part, Bernie Taupin took just two and a half weeks to write the lyrics).

This was Elton at his rocking, rollocking best, with a host of classic singles, including Candle In The Wind, Bennie & The Jets, the title track and the ultimate hedonistic rock and roll track, Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting; it was to become his best-selling album, and rightly so.

20. Black Sabbath: Paranoid (1970)

If you had to stick a pin in the dawn of metal then it would pierce Black Sabbath’s Paranoid, a record that both signified that the 60s had well and truly ended and showed off the power of rock. It feels like a record that was about the end of the world - and for the kids from the Black Country that made it, the industrialisation surrounding them probably felt like that. Ozzy Osbourne’s voice is perfect, conjuring up a psychedelic darkness that the band is now famed for

19. AC/DC: Highway to Hell (1979)

If Back In Black heralded the start of a brave new era for AC/DC and a staggering debut for Brian Johnson, then Highway To Hell was the glorious final act of original singer Bon Scott. The first of their records to be produced by Mutt Lange, he refined and beefed up their sound to stunning effect as it became their breakthrough record. 10 tracks of no-nonsense rock and roll with riffs a-plenty, the most solid rhythm section in rock, and Scott’s vocals blasting over the top: a fitting goodbye.

18. The Eagles: Hotel California (1976)

It's fair to say that this one didn't do too badly on the sales front - over 32 million and counting worldwide. It wasn't all plain sailing though - Black Sabbath were recording in the studio next door and the band often had to stop because of the noise coming through the walls. A classic record in every sense, with its title track one of the most famous tracks ever recorded, it was inspired by a dark concept: the decline of America into materialism and decadence. A heavy theme for a grand record.

17. Creedence Clearwater Revival: Green River (1969)

Described at the time by Rolling Stone as "the most vivid American rock since Music from Big Pink", Green River had a lot in common with The Band's classic record. Rootsy, bluesy, country rock was the order of the day while lyrically it featured classic storytelling and old childhood memories from frontman John Fogerty. Stick this on the stereo to be transported to a world of 60s Americana and good old rockin' tunes.

16. The Rolling Stones: Exile On Main Street (1972)

A record not highly regarded by the band themselves - Mick Jagger said that “when I listen to Exile it has some of the worst mixes I’ve ever heard” - but it remains a classic; a sprawling double album which captured the Stones at their most rootsy, their most bluesy, their most rock & roll. It was Keith Richards’ finest moment and, although it didn’t yield any smash hits, is a fantastically cohesive body of work.

15. Dire Straits: Brothers In Arms (1985)

They might be dismissed in some quarters as dull and middle of the road, but those people are wrong: there's a reason Brothers In Arms sold more than 30 million copies and catapulted Dire Straits to stadiums everywhere - it's fantastic. Combining high-end production, pop melodies, a touch of boogie as well as straight-up rock, it boasted the enormous hits Walk Of Life, Money For Nothing and the epic, heartbreaking title track. Mark Knopfler proved throughout that while there might be quicker and more fancy guitar players out there, he was one of the most effective, always choosing the right notes at the right time.

14. The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Electric Ladyland (1968)

A sprawling double album, this was to prove Hendrix’s masterpiece. Not only was the great man himself on the form of his life, but so were his compatriots Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell. A dense, psychedelic opus, it also contained taut singles, including his legendary cover of All Along The Watchtower, Crosstown Traffic and Voodoo Child (Slight Return). A genius in full flow.

13. AC/DC: Back In Black (1980)

Just how could AC/DC follow up Highway To Hell and, in particular, how could they even carry on after the tragic death of singer Bon Scott? With the blessing of Scott’s family, they recruited Geordie frontman Brian Johnson and promptly made the best album of their career: a masterpiece in riffing, pure rock energy and tight songwriting and production. The ominous, slow and heavy Hells Bells set the tone for the record and, with barely any gaps between songs, it’s nothing less than 42 minutes of unrelenting battering-ram rock and roll.

12. Queen: A Night At The Opera (1975)

Having released Sheer Heart Attack the year before - the album where it all came together for the early Queen era - they spread their wings still further on the follow-up A Night At The Opera. Full of incredible songs written by all four members and sung by three of them, laden with studio trickery and a whole range of styles, it is a masterpiece. And, of course, while its sheer ubiquity makes us take it for granted, Bohemian Rhapsody remains pretty much the greatest six minutes of music ever created.

11. The Doors: The Doors (1967)

The album, which introduced the world to the shamanic genius of Doors frontman Jim Morrison, was probably the best record they made. Their psychedelic sound, rocking tracks and Morrison's poetic lyrics set them out from the crowd, and nobody could argue with songs as good as Break On Through (To The Other Side), Light My Fire and the epic album closer The End, which was later to be used to mesmerising effect in Apocalypse Now.

10. Fleetwood Mac: Rumours (1977)

For many a band, their 11th album (if they make it that far) isn’t going to be a classic, more a tiresome re-rendition of songs of their past. Not for Fleetwood Mac, they create Rumours - both a highlight of the band’s career and one of the best records ever made. Now, this is smooth rock, the type that can send you to another place by massaging your senses - which is surprising as it’s written by a band at war with each other.

9. David Bowie: Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars (1972)

So much has been written about this album in the past that it seems a fruitless task to try to add any more. But when this record was released, it must have seemed like a literal alien had descended from Mars. A bisexual alien rock superstar alter-ego, lyrical themes of politics, sex and drugs, progressive production; it redefined what a rock star could do. And yet, all of this would have meant nothing if the songs were no good, but Bowie had that covered, too. Still a thrilling listen.

8. The Who: Who's Next (1971)

In a quandary over how exactly to follow up the sprawling rock opera Tommy, guitarist Pete Townshend attempted to create another concept piece in the form of Lifehouse. However, when audiences - who were meant to be part of the performance - failed to respond, it drove Townshend to the edge of a nervous breakdown and almost caused a band split. Eventually, they enlisted engineer Glyn Johns and instead recorded a straight-ahead rock record. It was a wise move - all nine tracks were incredible, they’d never sounded sonically better or more interesting, and every member was on top form. An undisputed classic

7. The Jimi Hendrix Experience: Are You Experienced (1967)

One of the greatest debut albums of all time, Hendrix announced his arrival on the scene with this record, which showcased his songwriting ability, virtuoso guitar skills and his not inconsiderable vocal skills - about which Hendrix was famously shy. It refined what was possible in rock, showcasing new sounds, new ideas, and a host of phenomenal songs. It’s still irresistible today.

6. The Beatles: Revolver (1966)

How to pick the best of the Beatles' rock albums? It's difficult, but it's hard to argue that Revolver deserves the crown. A work of breathtaking quality - be it songwriting, performance, or sonically - and it opened up the boundaries of what was possible in popular music. Full of classics, of varying styles: if you've never listened to it, you should do so right now.

5. Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here

How could Pink Floyd follow up The Dark Side Of The Moon? Well, by recording an album that’s arguably superior. It extensively explored the theme of absence - inspired by original singer Syd Barrett’s plight - particularly on the stunning Shine On You Crazy Diamond, which bookended the record. A majestic record, dynamically and sonically rich, which explored different time signatures and sounds, but never forgot about the tunes and the lyrics. And of course, that 4-note riff in Shine On… which never fails to raise the hairs on the back of your neck.

4. Led Zeppelin: II (1969)

It’s very hard to pick a second Led Zep album for this list, to stand alongside IV, but II just about gets our vote. The blueprint for so much of what was to come in rock, it saw Jimmy Page come of age in the studio and as a guitar player, and Robert Plant refine his, in turns, howlin’, then gentle, vocal style. And, of course, what opens the record? Probably the greatest guitar riff of all time in Whole Lotta Love. According to engineer Eddie Kramer, the mid-song breakdown, “where everything is going bananas, is a combination of Jimmy and me just flying around on a small console, twiddling every knob known to man.” Well, it came out pretty good, Eddie.

3. The Beatles: Abbey Road (1969)

The last music recorded by the band with Sir George Martin, Abbey Road, was created in a far-from-ideal environment for the Fab Four. Tensions within the band were high, and Lennon proposed splitting the A and B sides between him and McCartney. Nevertheless, things came together - literally - for both principal songwriters, while George Harrison contributed two of his best-ever songs in the shape of Something and Here Comes The Sun. It stands, against all the odds, as a brilliantly cohesive piece of work.

2. Led Zeppelin: IV (1971)

Arguably Led Zeppelin's finest moment, this was the record with the perfect blend of what made them one of the greatest bands of all time. Pure rock and roll thrills (literally, on track two), gentle folk and bulldozing hard rock. And, of course, in the case of Stairway To Heaven, all three in one song, complete with probably the greatest guitar solo of all time. Essentially, a faultless album.

1. Pink Floyd: The Dark Side Of The Moon (1973)

After the initial Syd Barrett-inspired success of their debut album, The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn, it took a while for Pink Floyd Mk II to find their feet. There were moments of greatness throughout the subsequent six albums, but it all came to a head with The Dark Side Of The Moon.

Everything about it was epic: the ambition, the scope, the dynamics. And, of course, it featured one of the greatest album covers of all time, designed by the legendary Storm Thorgerson. The public agreed: upon release, it stayed in the Billboard charts for an astonishing 741 weeks from 1973 to 1988. Profits from it even went on to help fund Monty Python & The Holy Grail, and you can't argue with that.

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